Lunch Notes

Although encouraging notes from home, folded into a sack lunch, are not a new phenomena, it is a trend that is exploding. In fact, some moms are buying cutesy stationary and pre-fab note cards to slip between the peanut butter sandwich and apple. Today’s sites, however, all offer free lunch note templates you can download and print yourself.

Buttoned Up (started by three sisters and a best friend in 2004) is a site dedicated to living an organized life. On this page, they have two sets of lunch notes. The first is for kids seven and under, with simple text and big illustrations. The second is for kids eight and over. These use a wordier approach, and can be used to remind kids to take out the trash when they get home, or remind them of a babysitting obligation.

"Hope you are having a great day!" "Where did you get all that cuteness?" Cap Creations is an online jewelry store with an associated blog filled with all sorts of crafty, mommy things: these colorful lunch notes among them. To print them out, click on the image, then right-click to open in a new browser tab, and print. In addition to these notes, there are also lunchbox joke cards and bible verse notes. Look for those links (in green) right after the photograph showing these note cards cut and on a platter.

Chickabug is an Etsy store featuring personalized paper and party goods. These free printable lunch notes are offered on their blog. There are four pages of them: two in boyish colors, and two in girly colors. Each pair includes one set with pre-printed messages, and the other completely wordless so you can craft your own message. "You make me smile when ..." "I am proud of you because ..."

Pinterest calls itself an "online pinboard" and is a cross between a micro-blogging platform, photo sharing site, and social bookmark manager. This collection of hundreds of lunch notes was created by dozens of users. You will notice there is some repetition, but even so, there are lots of good links to be discovered. Click on the thumbnail to visit the pin. From there, you will be able to click through to the bookmarked site.

"Small love notes tucked inside a lunch box or book bag can really bring a smile to your child's face. In addition to reinforcing reading skills, you're also modeling the power of writing. " These beautiful note papers feature artwork by well-known children's book illustrators, such as Julia Denos, Henry Cole, and David Small. They are fun and whimsical, and will surely be a hit with your young reader.